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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz struggled against the Boston Celtics Wednesday night, losing 94-82. However, it was Jazzman Gordon Hayward that put forth a great defensive effort on a fast-break play.
Celtics point guard Keyon Dooling picked off a pass from Enes Kanter to Alec Burks, rushing down court for what appeared to be an easy two points. Not wanting to give up points, Hayward picked up his stride and blocked the layup, sending the ball nearly out of bounds. Saving the ball, Burks throws it to Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley, who attempts a nearly uncontested dunk.
Hayward steps up again and knocks the ball away, stealing it and moving the ball up court to Kanter for a Jazz basket.
Damian Lillard to the Jazz?
The upcoming NBA draft is expected to be pretty good, with some projected all-stars in the mix. Several athletes stayed in college to avoid last summer's NBA lockout, making the 2012 draft a compacted list of talent. And while Weber State's Damian Lillard quietly made a name for himself, without the national publicity, many scouts see great things from him as a point guard in the NBA. Several early projections have Lillard as a lottery pick, with Chad Ford's most recent projection with the Jazz landing Lillard at the No. 9 pick.
Is this the 2012 version of Jimmer coming to Utah? The Jazz do need a viable point guard, and Lillard would appear to fit in well. Not to mention, fans would enjoy seeing Lillard play for the Jazz. If last year taught us anything, however, the possibility is there, but the likelihood remains low, especially with such early projections. But I guess there is always hope.
Nike and Reebok fight over rights to Tebow
On Wednesday, Nike Inc. filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Reebok International Ltd., saying Reebok used Tebow's name on New York Jets apparel without permission, after a licensing agreement with Reebok and the NFLPA expired on March 1. In 2010, Tebow signed an apparel deal with Nike.
As a result of the lawsuit, a judge has granted a temporary restraining order, blocking all sales of the Reebok Tebow jersey. Reebok, now, must stop making and selling Tebow jerseys.
Pat Riley sings karaoke
One of the most well-known basketball figures and one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, Miami Heat team president Pat Riley took his singing talents — or lack thereof — to a charity event sponsored by Shane Battier. Riley decided to sing "My Girl" by the Temptations. The song was worth something like $10,000 to the charity, but was not enough for Riley to quit as team president.
Greatest Kentucky team of all time?
As March Madness makes its way to an end, many have looked at the Kentucky basketball team as the team to beat. With several talented athletes — Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are projected in the top five of the upcoming NBA draft, if not No.1 and No. 2 — some have even said Kentucky is good enough to beat a few NBA teams.
Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said the notion that Kentucky could beat any NBA team is "absurd."
"Look, it's absurd," Van Gundy said. "I mean, people will say, 'Oh, Kentucky, you know's, got four NBA players.' Yeah, well, the other team's got 13."
And while the possibility of winning one game is always a possibility — nothing is impossible — the likelihood is about as good as a No. 16-seeded team beating a No. 1-seeded team in the NCAA tournament, if not greater. If, however, such a matchup existed, I would certainly watch, just to see if it could happen.
